How to Survive as a Single Parent in Today’s Economy

Being a single mother has always been a challenge and today’s economy is making it that much harder. Many single mothers struggle with the cost of providing food and shelter for their children. With the job market declining and the cost of living rising, these challenges are even more noticeable. In addition to the day-to-day challenges of working and raising children alone, many fathers are not paying child support due to the loss of a job. There are many things that single mothers do to try to survive the current economy.

Budget

One of the easiest ways to survive as a single mother in today’s economy is to create and stick with a budget. To make a budget, you should take all of your necessary finances such as utilities and mortgage or rent and then figure out how much you have left to spend on fun or shopping. Be sure to include an amount to be set aside for savings in the event of an unexpected emergency. You may run into an issue where your budget is lacking in the event of a needed car repair or medical bill. In these cases, you can apply for a payday loan.

Use Your Talents

A great way to earn extra income is to create and sell a product from your home. If you enjoy cooking, baking or sewing, you can use those hobbies to add to your income. People are always looking to purchase homemade products for gifts, parties and for themselves. You can easily sell your products online or at craft shows and fairs. If your talents are more service oriented such as childcare, adult care or pet care, you can advertise your services free on local bulletin boards. The key to surviving as a single mother in today’s economy is never give up.

Return to School

Many single mothers are going back to college to better their careers or start a new career. There are many grants and loans available for single mothers to pay for college courses. If daycare is a concern while attending classes, you can choose online courses. These courses are offered through most major universities and community colleges across the nation. Online courses do take time management skills as well as motivation to succeed. If on campus courses are a better match for you, you can apply for daycare assistance through the state.

Ask For Help

It is always okay to ask for help when you need it. If you have recently found yourself as a single mother, you may not be aware of the many services available to you. You can apply for help with food, daycare, housing and medical insurance. These assistance programs are designed to help people get back on their feet. You should also apply for child support from the father as the extra money he provides can be used to provide food, clothing and shelter for your child. Some of us have few friends or family they can borrow from and an option may be an installment loan to help you out. These options are all a way to lessen the burden on you while you adjust to being a single mother.

Comments

I’ve found the best way to live single parent or not is to always expect the unexpected. I recently lost my job in a town where there are little job choices. Even with 2 bachelors degrees and years of sale and customer service experience I know that it will be awhile before I’m able to find a good solid job that makes decent money. If I wasn’t prepared I would be losing my mind figuring out how I was going to pay bills and expenses for myself and my two kids. But luckily I plan ahead. I pay all my bills a month ahead and keep a credit on all my utility accounts. I also have quite a bit of savings. So I know I will be ok. A few years ago a friend of mine lost her job, she packed up her stuff and moved in with her dad in two weeks time because she didn’t even have enough to cover her cell phone bill that was due and her unemployment that she was scheduled to receive wouldn’t have even covered her rent.

I salute all single moms who work hard to support the needs of her family. Even if today’s economy is declining, the heart and perseverance of this wonder moms are rising! This tips and advises is very helpful to those single moms who wants to survive the day-to-day expenditure.